A Suggested Approach
Adapted from an article by Robert Needham
Most Christians, most of the time, do not make their decisions (great or small) in a genuinely Biblical manner. If we are honest with ourselves,the decisional method most of us use is deciding or doing exactly what we want or “feel” we “should” do and then justifying it with “Christian jargon” after the fact. Then having made up our minds, we then pray for the Lord’s blessing upon what has already been “locked in concrete.”
Decisions made on the exceedingly shaky basis of (changeable) feelings and or on personal experience(s) usually result in sorrow, disillusionment and disappointment. This is because we’ve used a secular, empirical and subjective method to make decisions rather than a sacred, deductive and objective process of intelligent thinking, based upon the eternally true principles of God’s word. In short, God wants us to have the “mind of Christ” in all decisions of consequence, and learn to reject, the world’s way of thinking and acting.
This is not to condemn feelings as such, which are a God-given part of our personality, but rather to warn against the pitfalls of making decisions on the basis of feelings and emotions. Feelings were never intended by God to be the basis of making decisions that please Him. If you follow the guidance below carefully, as suggested, you will note that there is a proper place for the consideration of your sincere “feelings,” but that step should be the caboose on the train, not the engine!
1. First acknowledge that our methods and ways will fail. God desires humility of heart concerning our own abilities. Proverbs 3:5-8, 14:12, 18:12, 28:26; Jeremiah 17:9; James 4:13-16; Galatians 6:7-8; John 15:5.
2. Acknowledge our need of Christ’s authority and power in everything that is to be blessed of God. John 8:31-36; Psalm 37:4-5; Matthew 6:19-34; Philippians 2:3-14; Colossians 3:17; Proverbs 16:33; John 15:1-7.
3. Pray continually and earnestly for God’s direction, and Christ’s pre-eminence, in all that is planned and done as you search for His will. Matthew 7:7-11, 21:21-22; John 14:14, 15:7; Philippians 4:6-7; Colossians 3:17; James 1:5-8.
4. Carefully seek to discover if any Biblical principle(s) is/are violated by the contemplated decision. 1 John 5:14; Acts 17:11; Proverbs 21:5.
5. Look for any special commandments that apply to the contemplated decision. Luke 11:28; Matthew 7:21-27; John 14:15, 21-23; Psalm 1:1-5.
6. Seek out the counsel of Godly men/women for help you with this decision- making process, as well as general advice. Proverbs 9:8-9, 11:14, 19:20, 20:18, 24:6; Ecclesiastes 5:1-7, 9:17-18.
7. Do not undertake the decision if your conscience is troubled, even if you don’t know the reason why at the time. If this principle is violated, the end result is seldom a happy one. God uses our conscience to warn us when we do not see an issue clearly enough to make a decision on objective grounds. Romans 14:13-23; I Corinthians 8:7-13, 10:23-31; Ecclesiastes 1:18.
8. Remember not to make your decision on the basis of the experience of others! It is impossible for you to know all the hidden variables that entered into their circumstances and decision(s). This is not meant to invalidate the counsel of parents and others in authority, but to avoid the trap of assuming that others’ experiences are a suitable model for your decisions. 2 Corinthians 10:12; Ecclesiastes 7:10.
9. Only after you’ve completed the steps above, should you look for any indications of God’s will in circumstantial events of His providence. Most Christians make this the first and only step, which is then interpreted only in the “light” of the desires at the moment! Romans 15:22; I Thessalonians 2:17-18.
10. Do not make serious decisions when angry, fatigued, full of pride or discouraged. Decisions so undertaken are nearly always regretted. Proverbs 11:2, 14-17, 29, 15:3, 15, 16:18, 27:22, 27 25:28.
11. Remember that God can and does overrule even our sins and errors for good if we’ve truly sought to serve Him and to obey His Word throughout the process. Romans 8:28.